Breaking Point
by CoreyWW
Summary: A "What If?" story based on the Bismuth episode. What if the Gems found out Bismuth attacked Rose ahead of time so the forge fight with Steven never happened ... and most importantly, how angry would Pearl be about the whole thing? Bismuth finds out exactly how angry during an argument after she's placed in a holding cell ...


Bismuth stood behind the cubical forcefield Rose's Room had created, staring at Pearl. She was just outside Bismuth's prison, sitting in a chair amidst a field of pink clouds.

Pearl held a book in her hands, her eyes fixed on it and nothing else. There was a sword at her side.

The sword was a gift from Bismuth thousands of years ago (one of the many swords Bismuth had made just for her). Elegant design on the hilt. Light, but not too light. Might not look like much, but could do more damage than any Homeworld Gem could imagine.

Small, elegant, deadly. _Perfect_.

Just like her.

Bismuth wondered if that would be the weapon that would end up shattering her, considering how Pearl must feel about her now.

Pearl wouldn't so much as glance at Bismuth. She stared at the book, practically glaring at it. She'd been doing that in silence for _hours_ now.

Taking a deep breath, Bismuth took a chance and spoke.

"... what are you reading?" Bismuth asked.

Pearl didn't look up. She didn't react at all.

"It uh ... must be pretty interesting," Bismuth said awkwardly. "You seem pretty into it."

Pearl was silent.

Bismuth approached the edge of her prison, right in front of the invisible wall separating her from Pearl. She sighed.

"You know, you don't have to sit here silent the whole time," Bismuth said. "We could at least talk or-"

Pearl finally spoke, but didn't look up from her book. Her voice was ice cold.

"I have _nothing_ to say to you."

Bismuth winced. She couldn't remember a time when Pearl had been that harsh. If she just had a chance to _explain_...

"Look, I know how you must feel," Bismuth said carefully. "It's not like I attacked Rose because I _wanted_ to-"

"We are _not_ having this conversation," Pearl said.

"I just ... I couldn't believe she wouldn't just _let_ me win the war for us. That's exactly what the Breaking Point would have _done_ , and I just-"

Pearl's eyes darted to Bismuth.

"I don't want to hear it!" she shouted.

Bismuth clenched her fist. She shouted without meaning to.

"Come on, Pearl, _I'm your friend_! You at least owe me a chance to explain!"

Pearl slammed her book shut and stood up.

"' _Owe you_ '?!" Pearl yelled. She practically spat out the words. "You tried to shatter Rose and you have the _gall_ to say I owe you _anything_?!"

" _I didn't have a choice!_ " Bismuth shouted back. "I was trying to save _everyone_ and Rose wouldn't _let_ me- _what was I supposed to do?!"_

"You were supposed to _stop_!" Pearl shouted. "You were supposed to _trust her_ like we all did!"

" _I did_! I wanted to, but when she betrayed us-"

" _You_ betrayed us! You turned your back against everything Rose ever believed in, that all life is precious and worth protecting!"

Bismuth couldn't help but roll her eyes.

"Yeah, I'm just- just _all torn up_ that Pink Diamond is shattered now," Bismuth said. "Her life was precious. Yeah. _Sure_."

Pearl gritted her teeth. Bismuth knew she was crossing a line mentioning Pink Diamond, _Her_ Diamond, and what Rose did to her ... but she couldn't stop herself. And it didn't make her point any less valid.

"That was _different_ ," Pearl said through her teeth.

"Oh, no, trust me, _I get it_ ," Bismuth said bitterly. "When Bismuth wants to shatter the Gems who want us dead, it's wrong. It's _evil_. But when _Rose Quartz_ shatters a Diamond, oh, there was just _no other choice_ so it's fine. It's _completely_ different." Bismuth glared at Pearl. " _Get. Real_."

"You knew Rose! You KNEW she always regretted that!"

"Yeah, I know! But she shouldn't have! Pink Diamond was a tyrant. The universe is a better place without her!"

"That's not-"

"Don't act like you don't think so too! You were her Pearl after-"

" _Shut up!_ " snapped Pearl.

Bismuth stopped. She saw the look in her eyes, still angry ... but also haunted. For the first time their entire conversation, Bismuth actually regretted saying something. Pulling open that old wound, knowing what Pearl had gone through ...

That was low.

Bismuth glanced at the pink clouds at her feet.

"... I'm sorry," Bismuth whispered. "I shouldn't have said that ..."

Pearl didn't reply. Bismuth looked back at her.

"But you see what I mean, right?" Bismuth continued. "Can you _imagine_ all the good it would have done to shatter _all_ the Diamonds? No more purged planets, no more Gems being denied their full potential, no more harvested Gems, no more empire ..." Bismuth frowned. "... no more Pearls going through what you did."

Pearl said nothing. Bismuth found herself getting frustrated.

"Come on, you get it! _You have to_! There's no one smarter than you!" Bismuth placed her hand on the forcefield. "Please, Pearl! Of all Gems, _you have to understand_!"

Pearl glanced at Bismuth. There wasn't an ounce of sympathy in her eyes.

"I do understand ..." Pearl said. "... but I also understand that if you would attack Rose just for _disagreeing_ with you, you're not a Gem I'd trust to do the right thing. Because if you'd do that, you're no better than Homeworld."

Bismuth felt a fierce anger bubble up inside of her. _That_ was not the right thing to say to Bismuth. Ever.

" _What_?!" Bismuth shouted.

"If you'd try to shatter someone who thought differently than you, how is that _any_ different from Homeworld or the Diamonds? You'd be doing exactly what they're doing: shattering Gems because they won't conform to exactly what you want, even if they're innocent!"

Bismuth clenched her fists and let out a bitter laugh.

"HA!" Bismuth shouted. "Rose Quartz, innocent?! Yeah, right! She's not the perfect Gem you _pretend_ she is, Pearl!"

"I don't think she's per-"

Bismuth shook her head.

"Don't deny it!" Bismuth said, centuries of frustration boiling to the surface. "You always thought she could do no wrong, no matter what! If she had asked you to sacrifice yourself for her, you'd have done it without a second thought _and you'd have be happy to do it_! _That's_ how blind you are when it comes to her!"

Pearl's face turned red. The look in her eyes could kill. She spoke in a harsh whisper.

"You're crossing the line-"

But Bismuth kept going. She couldn't stop herself.

"I mean, is that it?! Is that why it doesn't bother you what all the other Pearls are going through on Homeworld?!" Bismuth raised her voice. "Did you just not care about anyone else as long as you had Rose Quartz to _possess_ you?!"

Pearl flung her fist toward Bismuth. Shocked, Bismuth shut her eyes, only to hear a loud thud as Pearl's fist struck the forcefield.

Bismuth opened her eyes slowly. Pearl's fist lingered on the forcefield, inches from Bismuth's face.

Pearl's head was down.

"... you want to know what I care about?" Pearl said quietly, her voice cracking. " _I care_ about this planet. _I care_ about our friends who got shattered for this war. _I care_ about the ones who are suffering in corrupted forms who can't even _remember_ who they were! I care they all fought to protect this place and, despite everything, they _succeeded_! Just so the Earth would be safe, just so everyone left could have a better life! And I _refuse_ to let you twist that into a failure! I refuse to let you sit there and claim because the Diamonds aren't shattered that _nothing anyone did mattered_!"

For a moment, Bismuth was speechless.

"I-" Bismuth started. "I wasn't trying to-"

"But that's not even the worst part," Pearl said. She looked up ... and Bismuth saw there were tears in her eyes. " _I trusted you, you know_?! I really did! I never thought, of all Gems, you'd be the one to _ever_ do something like this to Rose, to any of us!"

Bismuth stared at Pearl. She had nothing to say.

Pearl choked back a sob.

"If you could just turn on one of _your friends_ like that, you- you must not have cared about any of us at all," Pearl said. "And nothing, _no one_ , has made me hurt the way you have by doing what you did. Not anyone on Homeworld. Not Rose. Not even _Pink Diamond_."

Bismuth felt a sting deep in her Gem. It was the most hurtful thing anyone had ever said to Bismuth ... and she couldn't even argue back because she could tell Pearl meant it. And that made it so much worse.

There was an awkward silence. A moment later, pink clouds parted revealing the Temple door. It glowed white for a moment before opening, allowing Garnet to step through.

Garnet's shades were drawn, but Bismuth could tell she wasn't even looking at her when she entered. She spoke.

"Pearl-"

"I'm fine," Pearl said, without turning to face her.

Garnet paused, then said, "It's my shift to watch Bismuth now. You can go."

Pearl turned back to Garnet. She wiped the tears from her eyes.

Pearl picked up her sword and her book before walking towards the door. Both Pearl and Garnet ignored Bismuth.

No, Bismuth thought. She couldn't just let Pearl leave like that. She had to say _something_ to make her feel better, anything-

"I _did_ care about you!" Bismuth shouted as Pearl approached the Temple door.

Pearl stopped walking, but did not look back. Garnet simply watched.

"I _still_ do!" Bismuth said, surprised at the emotion in her own voice.

Pearl didn't turn around when she spoke.

"Well," Pearl said, "then I wish you'd have never come out of your bubble, so I'd never have to know _this_ is how you treat the Gems you care about ..."

Bismuth had no words as Pearl left Rose's Room.


End file.
